Book Review: One by Leigh Ann Kopans

One

By Leigh Ann Kopans

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Source: Author

Summary: When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

Review: There are so many sci-fi/dystopian books out there that I keep on thinking I've read them all. But then books like One come along and pull me into an entirely new world that is impossible not to love. 

Merrin Grey is a One, a girl who doesn't have two powers to be a Super, but only one useless power, making her a freak. Instead of being able to fly like she would if she were a Super, all Merrin can do is float. With her incredible intelligence along with her longing to fly, Merrin will do anything to earn the coveted internship at the Hub, using her brains and chemistry to help Ones everywhere to finally become a Super. When she transfers to the school for normals, though, she meets Elias. And when the two of them touch, Merrin finds herself able to finally fly, thanks to Elias's one ability. As Elias and Merrin explore this phenomenon, they get closer to finding out just what exactly it is the Hub is researching and who they're using to find the answers they want. 

While it started off a bit slow, One is a story that really grabs you and doesn't let go. I loved Merrin's character and all of her little quirks. She's super smart, but isn't snobby about it, and it's really unique how she uses the drums as a way to let out her anger. And her twin brothers are so adorable! Merrin is the perfect big sister to them. Her relationship with her parents was kind of confusing, because in the beginning she made it seem like they really didn't like her because she wasn't a Super, so things were always awkward and strained. But as her parents, I feel like they shouldn't have been so distant and closed off from her. Other than that, though, the rest of the characters were great. 

All of the people Merrin meets at her new school (Leni, Daniel, and Elias) are exactly who Merrin needs to meet and it's cool how they're Ones as well. The whole idea of Ones being isolated (not a super, but not a normal) really brings Merrin and her friends together, but it also creates a whole lot of drama. The mystery behind the Hub is so intriguing and it's obvious they're hiding something big, you just have no idea what. You don't know who to trust and who's really the bad guy. Things definitely get crazy!

Overall, One was an awesome book that gives a unique twist to super powers and secret government organizations. The beginning was slow, but once you got introduced into Merrin's world things pick up and began to get very complicated. The whole concept of this book reminds me of a YA X-Men, which in itself is awesome. So I'd recommend checking this one out! And now that it's over, I'm really looking forward to the next book and seeing what's in store next for Elias and Merrin.